Halfway Out of the Dark
by The Angel In Blue
Summary: Cassidy was born with the gift of telepathy. Her life wasn't easy but, in a town like Mystic Falls, what is telepathy compared to vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgangers? What happens when the rest of the Mikaelson family joins the scenario? Furthermore, what will happen when one of the originals takes a special liking towards the telepath? Kol/OC
1. Invitation

My name is Cassidy Peterson and I was born with something extremely peculiar about me. However, in a town like Mystic Falls – where there's vampires, doppelgangers, witches and werewolves – my powers are less than extraordinary. I've tried to cope with it in the best way possible, but what can a person like myself do?

I believe the correct term for my _situation_ is telepathy. Yes, I can read other people's minds. Most of the time, it feels more like a curse than anything else in the world. Some were bound to carry heavier rocks, such as blood thirst or the power to kill others, but mine has made me somewhat miserable through the years. Like I said, I was born with it, and my powers began to make themselves noticeable after I turned five. My mother didn't know how to handle me and I knew I scared her a lot. My father was always working, but when he was at home, he didn't seem to care about my so-called mental problem.

At least that's what I thought. One day, daddy packed his bags and left us for good.

Sad story, isn't it? It could be worse, though. I still had my mother, despite how scared of my powers she appeared to be. As a child, I did everything I could to stay out of people's minds, but control was not my best characteristic.

It wasn't always bad for me. Despite my strangeness, I still had some friends – such as Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes and Matt Donovan. They didn't know how to deal with my odd ability either, but they understood my position. In a way, I guess I could say I was lucky, because I had them. But I never stopped wondering why my father left us. Truthfully, my mother never wanted to tell me the truth about his departure. I scanned her mind to find it – and trust me, I hated myself for doing it – but she locked that information away from the rest. Some things must stay hidden, I guess.

After a while, my existence became slightly less unusual, because we learned about vampires, werewolves and witches. Although I was still considered one of the town's whack jobs, I knew I wasn't completely crazy, or out of this world. Well, not completely, of course.

Unfortunately, after the unfolding of so many secrets and legends, we still didn't know for sure what I was. All I know about my powers is that I'm a telepath and I smell extremely good to vampires, according to Caroline, Stefan, Damon, Klaus and many others. So many things had happened since we found out about the supernatural. I guess I could've felt more surprised, but I didn't. How could I? I mean, come on! I'm a telepath, after all. It was bound to happen. Sadly, my friends and I had our lives threatened more times than we could count.

I know what I mean when I say I wouldn't wish this kind of curse upon my worst enemy. No one deserves to live with other people's thoughts rushing through their minds everyday of their lives without the possibility of it ever stopping. It's torturing and maddening.

A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts, and I focused my attention on my mother, who poked her head inside with a small smile. Her light brown hair swayed gently and her intense green eyes sparkled at the sight of her daughter. "Good morning, sweetie. I hope I didn't wake you. Someone left this for you."

"How do you know it was for me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the white envelope my mother held out as she stepped into the room.

"Well, for starters, it has your name written on it." She replied with a sarcastic smile.

I rolled my eyes and took it from her hands, pulling myself up until I was resting in a sitting position. I ran my fingers through the dark letters of my name, turning it around. I could feel my mother's eyes planted on me. Obviously, she seemed excited. And clueless. Without any more delays – because she appeared to be even more impatient than I was – I broke the red seal and opened the envelope. My eyes immediately widened in surprise and exasperation. "Please, join the Mikaelson Family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails and celebration." I read out loud, my voice shaking a little.

"An invitation?" My mother's voice dripped with excitement. Usually, I didn't receive many invitations, so, of course, this was a miracle – for her, at least. "Let me see it!"

I passed it to her, jumping up from the bed. I began connecting the dots in my mind, reaching one conclusion only. The Originals. That was enough to begin panicking. Not only because I didn't have anything nice to wear, but because those were the freaking Originals! Obviously, there were more than Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah. The simple thought of them being worse than Klaus gave me shivers. "I'm not going!" I immediately announced, turning around to cast my mother a stern look.

"Oh, yes, you are, missy!" She retorted, copying my severe expression. "You are going, and I won't take 'No' for an answer. It's decided, Cassidy. You're going."

Without giving me time to reply, she stormed out of the room, rambling to herself about the event. I knew she wouldn't let it go. As for now, I needed to know who else had been invited. I grabbed my cell phone and closed the door, burying myself under the pillows of my bed. I decided to call Caroline first.

A few seconds later, she answered the phone call. "Cass?"

"Did you get it too?" I asked immediately, going straight to the point.

"Oh, my God! Yes! I did." She replied, her voice dripping with panic. "Klaus even got me a dress, Cassidy! Ugh, and it's a beautiful one!"

"Seriously?" I exclaimed, widening my eyes. Of course she wouldn't be able to see the gesture, but what else could I do?

"Seriously!"

"Are you going?" I asked, biting on my nails.

"Are you?"

"I don't know. I guess. My mum's forcing me to go. I guess I'll have to."

"We're so screwed." Caroline said, voicing my thoughts exactly.

"Yes, we are…"

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I kinda wish I did, though. **

**A/N: Hello, guys! So, I decided to write this story. Unfortunately, I won't be able to update it frequently (and that goes for my other story as well) because of school. Seriously, I've been dying with all the homework. There are piles and piles of crappy homework every day, and I can't wrap my mind around it! Plus, I've been getting a writer's block lately (which I hope it goes away soon enough, because it sucks to have it). Anyway, what did you think of this for a first chapter? Don't forget to REVIEW, okay? Meh, I'm gonna lie down and sleep. I'm so freaking tired! See you all next time, sweeties! **


	2. The Dance

"It's all so weird." Elena voiced, dragging me out of the swirling of thoughts inside my mind. "The Originals are throwing a ball. Like, an actual ball."

Caroline, Elena and I were sitting at the Mystic Grill, over one of the tables. After so many years, I still found its name quite a bit dull! It was considerably bustling, and that wasn't particularly good. At least not for me. The amount of pounding in my head was almost ridiculous. Other people's thoughts tended to enter my mind freely when I wasn't concentrating, and right now? I was basically a nervous wreck, which meant every thought and emotion would find its way inside my mind. Sometimes, it got so bad I couldn't even distinguish a thought from a vivid sentence. "I know, right? And I don't even know what to wear! That is, if I'm going."

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish, it is what it is." Caroline ignored me, crossing her arms angrily. "And why does the evil witch want an audience with the two of you?"

That's right. Not only had Esther requested a meeting with Elena, she had also scheduled an audience with me. Before I left the house in a hurry, I read the invitation one more time, making sure I hadn't gone insane. I turned it over out of curiosity, finding a message on the back. _I think it's time we finally meet, Cassidy. I trust you must have a lot of questions, and I shall answer them. Esther._

To be honest, I didn't know how to feel about it. Obviously, she knew about my powers but, as far as I knew, I was completely useless to her. There must be something more to it. "I have no idea. There's only one way to find out." Elena answered, raising her eyebrows as if suggesting we'd go along with her.

"Is that a good idea?" I asked, scratching my chin. "I mean, this is really suspicious. We'll be doing precisely what she wants."

"Exactly." Caroline nodded, clearly agreeing with me. "Besides, I thought you told Damon and Stefan you weren't going."

"I did, which is all the more reason why I need a drama-free bodyguard and a partner in crime." Elena replied, casting us a slightly mischievous smile. I shook my head, looking down at my hands. "Plus, I know you would not let us go on our own."

"Let's face it, Caroline. I wouldn't be going if you weren't." I supplied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're kinda right." Caroline agreed, turning to look at Elena with a slightly irritated expression. Although I could not listen to vampires' thoughts, I could already tell what was coming. "But I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux, and by that, I mean Stefan."

"I don't know. Damon would pull it off just as nicely as Stefan would." I mumbled, voicing what Elena had been thinking. Caroline immediately elbowed me and Elena smiled slightly. "I mean, yeah! Definitely Stefan. He would look so hot. Totally."

Elena laughed, but her chuckle eventually turned into a desperate gasp. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. I tried not to read her mind, but the image of Damon kissing her kept popping in it. I immediately widened my eyes at her. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to control myself, and that image wouldn't be leaving my mind anytime soon. "I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now. Whatever Stefan's feeling, he's channeling it all against Klaus, and Damon… it's just not a good idea."

"Why?" I asked, arching an eyebrow in distrust. "Is it because you two made out like crazy?"

Caroline and I shared an understanding look. Bonnie had told us about it, but seeing a vivid image of such action turned it into something more… authentic. And I honestly didn't need to see it. "Bonnie spilled the beans." Caroline blurted out, shaking her head a little in disappointment.

"I was gonna tell you, guys." Elena immediately uttered, sounding honest and tired. Sadly, I had no control over myself at the moment, and I began reading her thoughts like an open book. There was evident preoccupation, restlessness and frustration. Aside from that, there were extremely high emotions towards the Salvatore brothers. And she couldn't be more confused about which brother she wanted! Then, of course, there was the usual preoccupation towards her friends. Elena has always been driven by her emotions, mainly her love and care for her friends. She was just too easy to read. "It's just, after everything that happened with your dad…"

"Elena, when you and Matt kissed for the first time in freshman year, you called me the second it happened. And I don't hear about this until now? From somebody else?" You wouldn't need to be a telepath to see that Caroline was truly upset and hurt.

Frankly, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. After all that happened, this was not one of my major problems. If Elena wanted to kiss Damon, she could kiss him – as long as she didn't play with the two brothers, of course. "I'm sorry. It's just, I… I don't even know how I feel about it yet. All I do know is that… it just used to be so much easier."

"Of course it did. You didn't have to deal with two brothers who are madly in love with you." I added, casting Elena an assertive look.

Suddenly, Rebekah walked up to us with a slightly irritated expression. "Careful, Caroline. It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back." Then, she turned to look at me, smiling softly. "The same goes for you, Cassidy. You don't wanna be stabbed by one of your _friends_, do you?"

I was about to come up with a response, but Elena stepped in. "What are you doing here? I know your mom's rules – no hurting the locals."

"Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you." With an infuriating smile, she left. We watched her as she approached Matt, who had been collecting some dishes from the empty tables. Rebekah took an invitation out of her handbag, delivering it to him with a charming smirk.

Reluctantly, Matt accepted it, raising an eyebrow at the blonde Original. "Oh, my God. She's inviting him to the ball." Caroline announced, as if it wasn't obvious already. "Why is she inviting him?"

"Probably to get this reaction from us." Elena replied, an irritated sigh escaping through her lips.

"Great. Now, we really must go to the ball and keep an eye on him. I don't like this, at all." I commented, crossing my arms over my chest.

Caroline turned to look at us, rolling her eyes. "What time is this stupid dance?"

* * *

><p>I opened the door of my house, calling out to my mother. Hopefully, she would know something about a nice dress that I could wear on this stupid ball.<p>

The fact that Rebekah invited Matt had me slightly worried, but that was not the main problem here. For a long while, I had been wondering if there were others like me. Knowing that there could be others in the same situation wouldn't make me feel so… freaky. Plus, Esther's a witch – a wise, powerful, experienced and dangerous one. She must've seen so many things during her lifetime. She could know something about me, or my kind. To be honest, I didn't even know if I was human or not. I mean, how could I tell the difference? I feel human, but am I really?

I closed the door, leaning against it. Suddenly, my mother came down the stairs with an excited smile. "Cassie, I've found the perfect dress for you to wear. Come on, sweetheart. I'm sure you'll love it!" I instantly rolled my eyes, nodding with my head. "I mean, at least try it."

"I will." I answered, following after her. "In fact, I've decided that I'm going."

"Now that's more like it!" My mother replied, sending me an excited grin. If only she knew that it would be practically crawling with deadly vampires…

But she didn't. She was aware that I was something different, but she never touched the subject. In fact, she tried her best not to do that. She loved me infinitely and she didn't want to change her image of me. I knew that because I read her thoughts. Most of the things I knew about my friends and family I learned them from listening to their loud minds. And that was not okay. It shouldn't be like this. And when it came to vampires… well, she suspected that something strange was going on in Mystic Falls.

I would never tell her what it was, though. Doing such thing would automatically put her life in danger.

We reached her bedroom and a black dress rested over the covers of my mother's bed. My eyes almost popped out of orbit at the sight of it. Truthfully, it was beautiful! "That is… breathtaking." I commented, earning an eager smile. "And it's yours, mum."

"It is." She nodded, approaching the bed. "But we both know I no longer have the curves I used to. You, on the other hand…" My mother stared down at me, evaluating my figure. "You'll look gorgeous, honey. Come on, come on, come on! Try it on."

I did as I was told. I grabbed the dress and entered the bathroom, beginning to strip down my normal clothes.

After a few moments, I came out of the bathroom, looking into the huge mirror that my mother had in her bedroom. When she laid eyes on me, she immediately jumped up from her bed with a large smile on her lips. "Oh, God… it hurts to say it, Cassie, but you look a lot better than I did."

I laughed, analyzing my figure through the mirror. "You think so?"

"I know so."

* * *

><p>The doors of the mansion were opened to allow my entrance. I decided to let my strawberry blonde hair down tonight, but my mother helped me curling it. I hadn't realized how long it had been since the last time I had been invited to something like this, because my mother appeared to be a lot more excited than I was. Then again, she wasn't even aware of the existence of vampires. Sadly, the list of supernatural creatures in this town went on and on.<p>

The sound of violins echoed through the room and, in my mind, the voices whispered incessantly. It wasn't long enough until I spotted Damon. One of the waiters walked past him holding a tray with glasses filled with champagne, and Damon decided to take two, turning to approach me. Before I entered the mansion, I could already hear those noisy minds, so, I tried to focus on channeling them all out of my head. Their emotions were still quite there, making themselves noticeable from time to time, but I could only hear a few whispers now.

"You shouldn't be here." Damon muttered into my ear, rolling his eyes slightly.

"What? And miss this wonderful ball?" I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Seriously though. Esther invited me. She said she wanted to talk to me. I'm sorry, but it's too tempting. I need to know what she knows."

"She tried to kill Elena, Cass. What makes you think she won't try to kill you too?" Damon replied sharply, his icy blue eyes traveling through the crowd of people surrounding us.

"I doubt it. Bonnie was led to open the coffin for a reason." I whispered, looking around for any other known vampire. "There's more to it. I know it."

Damon sighed angrily, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change my opinion. I knew I wasn't his main preoccupation, but he truly sounded worried. He wasn't here only because of Elena and I knew it. "You look lovely, by the way." Damon uttered, looking down at my figure as if he was evaluating it.

I smiled satisfactorily. "Thank you. You look nice with your tux and bowtie."

"I know."

Although I rolled my eyes, there was a small smile trying to escape my lips. I could tell Damon was smiling too. "Of course you do."

"Champagne?" He asked politely, gesturing towards the drink.

I shook my head. "Can't. Gotta keep a clear mind. If I don't, other people's thoughts will start swirling, and then I won't be able to control it."

"One glass can't hurt you, can it?"

"I don't wanna risk it."

Damon nodded with his head, looking away. A few moments later, he grabbed onto my arm gently. "Come on, Red. Let's talk to Carol."

I opened my mouth to reply but I was already being pulled through the crowd of people. We walked up to Carol, who turned to look at us with a warm smile on her face. "Hello, Carol." Damon greeted immediately, handing her the glass of champagne I had refused to accept.

"Mayor Lockwood." I greeted politely, glancing around us. For some reason, I felt like there was someone watching us, which was stupid because we were surrounded by people.

"Hello." She replied, making a little toast with Damon. She sipped on her champagne, observing me. "You look beautiful, Cassidy."

I looked down at myself, raising an eyebrow in doubt. "Uh, thank you. So do you."

"Hanging out with your new besties?" Damon interjected, his voice dripping with irony and skepticism.

"I'm the mayor, Damon." Carol replied, standing closer to us. Even though I was doing my best to block out other people's thoughts, it was clear that Carol was worried and slightly anxious about all of this. "When the oldest, deadliest family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile."

"Well, at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from." Damon quirked his eyebrows, sending Carol a sassy smirk.

Carol rolled her eyes almost instantly. "I'm trying to protect this town. They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it."

Damon was about to come up with a snarky comment on how that said peace wouldn't last long, but someone else joined us. "Mayor Lockwood." The man had a boyish face and brown hair. His hazel eyes were unbelievably beautiful, but there was something about the way he smiled that made me want to run away as quickly as possible. His face seemed to have been sculpted by the gods and his cheekbones would certainly make panties drop. This man had 'dangerous' written all over him. Even so, I found myself observing him with avid eyes. "We haven't formerly met. Kol Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it." He took Carol's hand and kissed it gently.

Without any delays, Damon took a step towards Kol, extending out his hand. "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?"

"I've met a lot of people, and you don't particularly stand out." Kol replied, smiling at the sight of Damon's smirk turning into a sour grimace. I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from laughing at the scene displaying in front of me. Then, his dangerously beautiful eyes landed on me. "Your friend, on the other hand, I definitely would've remembered." I gulped thickly, sensing the void of his mind when he specifically touched my hand and kissed it as well.

Although I couldn't see myself, I could feel my cheeks becoming very hot. "Uh, I'm Cassidy. Cassidy Peterson." I uttered, forcing a smile. Maybe I was crazy, but I could swear I saw a sparkle in his eyes when I told him my name.

"Pleasure. Hope to catch you again this evening, Miss Peterson." Kol replied, casting me a charming smirk before walking away from us.

Damon let out an irritated sigh, rolling his eyes. I elbowed him, and he groaned in response. "I'm bored. I think I'm gonna find some alcohol-free drink and then I'll be back." I mumbled to him, patting his back gently. He nodded, continuing his conversation with Carol while I started walking away from them.

I made my way through the crowd, the tingling sensation of someone observing me remaining quite obvious. I took a deep breath and pulled myself together, pretending that I hadn't noticed it. I could sense dark and empty minds all around me, letting me know that there were more vampires in this house than what I could count. There were a lot of human minds as well, and I began to feel nervous about all of this. I guess only now it hit me that Esther could be planning some evil scheme. If she somehow was seeking for my help, I'm sure I wouldn't go along with it.

I reached the bar and leaned against the beautifully polished wood as I waited for my turn.

"Cassidy Peterson?" A smooth and masculine voice asked, causing me to turn around almost immediately.

"Yep. The one and only." I replied, popping out the 'p' of 'yep'. "Who's asking?" The man was a lot taller than me, and he was handsome. Like Kol, he also had brown hair and brown eyes, but he appeared to be slightly older. I could tell they were related, even though I didn't know this man's name. And obviously, he was a vampire. There was nothing in his mind but void and silence.

"I'm Finn Mikaelson. My mother requested you to be alone, and you're here with company." He immediately whispered, walking closer to me. I nodded, acknowledging his presence and who he was.

"They're here for protection, that's all." I mumbled, looking into his dark eyes. "When am I supposed to meet Esther?"

"After the waltz. I'll take you there." Finn replied, looking around us. "Elena Gilbert will be meeting her first. Then, you will go. But remember: you must be completely alone. I don't want any of your friends following us. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, no problem." I nodded, glancing over at the bar. When I looked back at the space that Finn had been occupying, there was nothing of him. I shrugged it off, internally sighing. I only requested a glass of water, limiting myself to it. If I drank something alcoholic, the little control I had would start to dissipate and the voices would become louder and louder. Drinking alcohol was an amazing way to lose yourself, but not in my case. If I became too relaxed, it would all go to hell. Trust me, I've been there, done that.

I whirled around, pacing across the room as I listened to the violins music playing. "Why so lonely, sweetheart?"

I almost jumped at the sound of Klaus's voice. I placed a hand over my chest, steadying my heartbeat a little. "Being alone doesn't mean I'm lonely."

Klaus smirked, analyzing me for a few moments. "You look stunning, by the way."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He glanced around and came closer to me with his usual devious smile. "I saw you chatting with Finn."

"He was just introducing himself." I lied, hoping that he would not listen to the increasing of my heart rate.

Before Klaus could reply, a specifically blonde head walked into the room, causing the hybrid's head to snap in her direction. I couldn't help but smile at the way he observed Caroline. Surely, for a person who had murdered so many people, Klaus still managed to look cute, which was almost unbelievable. And, for a heartless murderer, he didn't seem to be so heartless when it came to my best friend. "Excuse me." He mumbled, walking up to her.

I observed them with amused eyes and, after a few more moments, Caroline approached me with a slightly annoyed expression. "You look beautiful, Care." I told her with a mocking smile. She groaned in response, rolling her eyes.

"I had nothing else to wear, okay!" Caroline responded with frustration evident in her expression. "And whoa, your dress is amazing. You look _hot_."

"Okay. Thanks...?" I raised my eyebrows and smiled.

We locked arms and started pacing together. "How's it going with the evil witch?" Caroline whispered into my ear as lowly as possible, knowing that there were vampires all around us.

"I'm meeting her after the waltz." I replied, scanning the area for anyone suspicious who could be listening to our conversation. "Elena's going first, though. Then, she'll meet me."

Caroline nodded, sipping on her champagne. "I still don't like this, but it's the only option we have."

"Exactly."

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please?"

Caroline and I shared an assertive look. "Come on."

We approached the principal staircase where the Originals already stood with champagne glasses in their hands. They were all elegantly dressed and I couldn't help but admire their sophistication. I glanced back to see Stefan and Damon joining our sides, preparing themselves for the oncoming speech. When I turned to look at the Originals again, I saw Kol glancing in our direction. He slightly raised his glass and smirked directly at me. "Welcome. Thank you for joining us." Elijah was the one delivering the speech. "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance."

While Elijah was talking, Esther – well, I immediately presumed it was her – descended the stairs elegantly. Her blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders and her black dress fit her perfectly. "Do you see who I see?" Damon whispered to us.

"Oh yeah." Stefan nodded, analyzing the woman.

"Of course we see what you see. Do you have to point out the obvious? Geez…" I snapped, causing him to roll his eyes. Stefan glanced over at the two of us, a smiling creeping out of his lips.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah finished, beginning to descend the stairs with his siblings.

After the speech was over, I saw Elena walking over to us. I glanced around in an attempt to find Stefan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Caroline and I walked away from Damon and Elena, knowing that they were going to start arguing about Esther. Obviously, I wasn't wrong, because I could hear Elena's thoughts on the matter.

_Stefan always let me make my own decisions! He trusted me, even when I was making the wrong choice. Why can't Damon do the same thing? _

I immediately tuned out of her mind after listening to that, not wanting to hear the rest of the drama. Elena was my friend, but I didn't agree with what she was doing to them. And honestly, I had a feeling it was only going to get worse, and she was going to end up hurting both. I rolled my eyes, looking away.

Caroline's hold of my arm became tighter, and only then I realized why. Kol approached us with a smile tugged on his lips. The blondie and I shared a desperate look and, without a proper warning, she stormed off in the opposite direction, leaving me open mouthed. "Hello, darling." Kol greeted, offering me a charming smirk.

I glared daggers at the path Caroline had taken, taking a deep breath. "Darling? Seriously?"

His smirk only grew wider as I crossed my arms impatiently. "I was wondering if you'd fancy dancing with me."

Dancing with the enemy? No, thank you! "No." I replied simply, starting to walk away from him.

Obviously, my declining didn't make him give up on me, because Kol pulled me closer to him by grabbing my arm. I was forced to turn around, groaning grumpily at him. "Well then, if you want to dance with me so badly, I should probably warn you that I'm not much of a great dancer." I told him, arching an eyebrow. "You should probably look for a partner who actually knows how to dance properly." Somehow, I knew that it wouldn't scare him away. He appeared to be too persistent for my taste.

"Don't worry, darling. Just follow my lead and we'll be fine." Kol whispered into my ear, provoking shivers to travel down my spine.

I ended up nodding, and Kol took that as cue to pull me to the dance floor, next to the other pairs. Music began playing, and we started dancing.

Truthfully, I wasn't a bad dancer, but I wasn't good either. I was… average. Caroline and I used to practice it a lot, but while she knew the correct movements and how not to step on other people's toes, I was… okay. Not too bad, not too good.

Kol and I were dancing harmoniously, to my surprise. I hadn't stepped on his feet yet, and that was almost a miracle. My eyes landed on him, and I could tell he was watching me with an amused smile on his handsome face. "What is it?" I asked him before he whirled me in his arms, pulling me back against him.

"You're not as bad as I thought you'd be." He replied, glancing down at me.

"Thanks. That's… reassuring." I commented sarcastically, earning a muffled laugh.

Just when I thought the conversation had died, Kol decided to break the silence. "So, Cassidy. Tell me something about yourself."

I looked away, trying to find Elena. She was nowhere to be found anymore. She probably already went to meet Esther. I observed Caroline as she danced with Klaus. While he was smiling, she appeared to be slightly annoyed. However, even if she didn't want to admit it, I knew she liked him a lot. She just felt guilty because of Tyler and because Klaus was basically a killing machine. My attention returned to Kol, ignoring the people surrounding us. "Why?"

"Because I want to know more about you."

"Why?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?" Kol asked, smirking amusedly.

"Yep." I nodded, looking down with a small smile. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Your choice."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Kol nodded, continuing to observe my features. It's at times like this that I wish I could read vampires' minds as well.

I glanced around us, trying to think of something that would not give too much information about myself. I didn't know Kol, but I knew he was an Original, which basically screamed 'dangerous' and 'deadly'. "Well, come to think of it… I kinda like darkness. And silence."

"Why?"

"You're asking too much, don't you think?"

"Not really." He replied with an infuriating smirk. I rolled my eyes, shrugging it off.

After a few moments of silence, I sighed. "Because one is just too alluring, and the other's peaceful."

And, as the song ended, we broke apart.

I stormed off in the opposite direction, wondering where Elena or Finn had gotten themselves into. To be honest, I also wanted to escape Kol. His strange interest in me didn't make me feel too comfortable around him. In fact, it worried me.

I stepped outside, finding myself on a balcony. The chill of the night gave me small shivers, but I became used to them. In fact, it made me feel slightly better. My head was pounding again and the whispers were becoming louder and louder. I shut my eyes tightly, focusing on locking them all out, but it wasn't working this time.

Dragging me out of my thoughts, a deep and masculine voice called out to me, saying: "Are you ready to meet her, Cassidy?"

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I only own my OC, Cassidy Peterson. **

**A/N: Hello, guys! How are you doing? I'll tell you how I am: practically dying of fatigue! It's so much at the same time, I seriously think I'm gonna blow up. I have swimming lessons three times a week, I have homework every single fucking day, and I can't keep up with all of this. I'm going down, haha. Sadly, I don't know when I'm going to update again (unfortunately, that goes for my other story as well), but don't give up on me, please. Seriously. What did you think of this chapter? Too 'meh'? Don't forget to REVIEW. I'm gonna sleep, bye.  
><strong>P.S.: If you notice any writing mistakes, you must forgive me! <strong>  
><strong>


	3. Enlightenment

Finn offered me his arm, and I accepted it. Unnoticeably, we walked upstairs in absolute silence. Everyone seemed to be having a good time – well, at least the clueless ones – and no one noticed us as we grew distant from others. I only hoped this wouldn't turn out to be a dangerous trap. This dress was too good to get ruined.

We stopped in front of a room, and I immediately presumed it was Esther's. Usually, I'd be able to sense a presence or an active mind, but this time, I couldn't even feel the usual void and silence that I frequently felt near vampires. It appeared to be empty. I turned to look at Finn, and he casted me an empty look. I couldn't read his mind, but I could tell he was nothing but a shell of what he once had been. I hadn't known him during his previous years, but I could see just how hollow his eyes were right now.

Luckily, I didn't have to ask any questions, because the door opened. Elena came out of the room with a worried and alarmed expression on her face. Her dark brown eyes met my bright green ones, and her thoughts immediately began swirling inside my head.

_Listen to me, right now! Esther wants to kill Klaus, but to do so, she'll have to kill the rest of them! It's the only way. Don't do anything, don't say anything. If she asks for your help, you will help her. And please, Cassidy, be careful!_

I only nodded at her, confirming that I had understood her. I looked back, watching Elena walking away in a quickened pace. I only blinked, acknowledging that piece of information. Finn led me into the room, where Esther awaited patiently. "That would be all, Finn. Thank you." The witch said, watching him as he nodded and closed the door before leaving the room. I shifted awkwardly, observing the woman. "Have a seat, Cassidy."

"Alright…" I mumbled, moving to seat on the white and fancy couch. "Are we allowed to speak freely without others listening to us?"

"I have sage burning. I spelled it so we can speak without the fear of being overheard." Esther explained. Oh… so that's why I couldn't hear a thing. It does make sense.

"Oh… okay."

"You must have a billion questions for me, Cassidy." The witch started, sitting down next to me with an assertive expression.

"Yeah, I do. How are you even alive?" I asked, looking into the woman's dark green eyes. I placed my hand over hers, trying to channel her mind into mine, but I couldn't hear a thing. There was only silence. "And why can't I hear you?"

Esther smiled, as if she had already been expecting that specific question. I blinked several times, trying to pick up any signal, but her mind was utterly dead. Just like a vampire, or a dead person. Silent and peaceful. "When I died, the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was an ancestor of your friend Bonnie, and a close friend of mine." Oh, right. That's why only Bonnie and her mother could open the coffin. It made sense now. It wasn't just because they were witches. It was because they shared the same bloodline. "I drew power from them and their ancestors, who were with me on the other side."

"You were on the other side? For a thousand years?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes." Esther nodded, her expression becoming more serious and hard. "It was Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into deadly and vicious creatures."

_I've had a thousand years on the other side, watching my children destroying entire villages, maiming and murdering innocent people while taking pleasure on the killing. They are my family and I love them very deeply, but they are abominations. It's about time I did something stop them. _

My eyes widened almost instantly, and I stared at her in pure shock. It was definitely her voice, but it came from her mind, not from her mouth. "And how are you going to do that?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow in distrust. Elena had told me to be careful about this, but I really needed to know.

She smiled again, realizing that I had listened to her thoughts, just like she had intended me to do. "That is not for you to worry about. All I'm asking is for your silence and your help. They are a plague in this world, and they have to be stopped. Haven't they caused you and your friends enough misery?"

"They have, but–"

"They have done nothing but wreak havoc wherever they go." Esther interrupted, noticing that I wasn't entirely convinced. "For a thousand years, I felt the pain of every victim. They are my fault, and I am here to undo the evil I have created."

"I understand." I understood her. Honestly, I did, but that didn't mean that I agreed with her actions. I was not going to take a part on this. They were her children, for God's sake! What kind of family is this? "I understand where you're coming from with all of this. But tell me: why am I here exactly?"

Esther leaned back against the couch, observing me carefully. "I need your help to complete the spell, Cassidy." I felt a knot forming around my heart. I didn't want to help her. I knew that the Originals had left a thousand or more lifeless bodies behind, and if they continued to live, they would leave so many more, but I couldn't do this. It felt wrong, for some unknown reason. "And I know you have questions; not about me, but about yourself. In exchange of your help, I'll explain to you what I know about your kind."

I swallowed thickly, measuring the options I had. Could I do this to them? Would I be able to look into Elijah's eyes and go on with this? Could I endure the weight of their deaths? Could I carry on with my unknown nature? How could I control myself if I didn't know anything about my powers? Would I ever live a normal life with this strange genetic I had? I needed to know more. I needed to know the specific term for my _situation_. Was I human? I didn't know anything, except for the fact that I could read werewolf and human minds – and apparently, I could read witches' minds too. Vampires couldn't get into my mind, and believe me, they tried and tried. And I couldn't be compelled. Not even once. I was practically immune to them but, on the other hand, I couldn't read their minds. In that aspect, they were a complete mystery to me.

"Fine. I will help you." I mumbled at last, my voice cracking a little. "But how exactly can I assist you?"

Esther nodded, getting up from the couch. I followed her, and she gripped a small and pointy dagger, turning to look at me with a serious expression. "I will need your blood, Cassidy. I already took a few drops from the doppelganger, but I need yours as well to complete the spell."

"Why?"

She ran her finger through the shinny blade. "Your blood and Elena's are special. Even if it's in different ways, they're both required to perform this ritual."

I nodded silently, extending out my hand. Without any delays, she made a small cut in the tip of my finger, pressing the wound to make it bleed. I hissed slightly, hating the feeling of pain. The red liquid fell into the glass, which was already filled with an unknown content. "Elena's blood is specifically required to link them and yours is too, but it will mainly allure them. They will feel compelled to drink it, but they won't be able to tell the difference. And that goes mainly for Elijah. He's more suspicious than the others." I looked up at her, meeting her dark green eyes. "The essence will be in the champagne toast later this evening." Esther explained, grabbing onto the glass. "They all must drink it in order to be linked as one." I gave her a questioning look, telling her to go on. "Klaus can't be killed, unless when they're all linked together. If one goes, the others go too."

"Oh, God…" I mumbled, looking away from her. It pained me to help Esther doing something like this. It felt so incredibly wrong.

"You said you understood my reasons." Esther pointed out, noticing my horrified expression. "Understand that this is my duty. I betrayed nature when I created them. I have to kill them."

I nodded, remaining silent. They could be abominations, but they were still her children. And family always comes first – at least for me. Apparently, not to her. I decided I wouldn't say anything else on the subject. She already had mine and Elena's blood. There was nothing I could do to stop her from doing what she wanted.

Esther sat back down on the couch, placing her hands on her lap. I copied her, sitting down as well. "So, what do you know about my kind?"

"I only know what I've seen so far. I recall that your kind is extremely rare, and it has been a long while since the last time I met someone like you. You're immune to any type of compelling; you have the power to read any mind you want – except for the minds of vampires and witches, of course. Vampires don't have brainwaves. Therefore, you can't read what's dead. And, when it comes to witches – like me – we only allow you to listen to what we want you to hear. We possess a way of shielding our thoughts from people like you, especially the most experienced of us. That's what I did moments ago." Esther explained. Again, I heard her voice ringing inside my head.

_Your mind is naturally protected against any kind of danger – if anything perilous tries to get in, your brain automatically banishes it or neutralizes it. Vampires cannot look into your head and, unfortunately, you are very outstanding and alluring. Your blood is badly craved by them, and you smell different to them. Some would say you smell… irresistible._

Her voice was deep and intense. Every word she thought had echoed through my mind like bells ringing loudly. "Am I right?" Although I already knew most of those things, I nodded at her.

"Alright, but… is there any specific name for my, err… _kind_?" I reluctantly inquired. "In fact… am I even human?"

"I believe you are." Esther nodded, lifting a weight from my shoulders. "On the other side, they named your kind the extrasensory and far-sighted ones, the mind readers… the _telepaths_. They consider you exceptional human beings, extremely smart and extremely tormented."

"Extremely tormented… that sounds about right." I commented, letting out a frustrated gasp. "But how… uh, why am I like this?"

"At some point in your history, one of your ancestors must've mated with a person with similar characteristics." Esther responded, appearing to be thoughtful about the subject. "The gene must have skipped some generations, but it landed on you. It chose you, for some reason."

"I hope my children don't end up being like me." I mumbled, looking down. "Poor kids."

"Your powers are a gift, Cassidy." Esther placed her hand over mine, trying to reassure me. "You must learn to control them. Use them when most needed. You mustn't look at them as if they were a curse."

"But they _are_ a curse." I objected, getting up from the couch. "Imagine you were a five year old kid, and you suddenly started listening to everyone else's thoughts, but never knowing why. You heard voices whispering to you, but you had no idea what they were! Your own mother thought you were a freak, an _abomination_! Most of the time, you were considered the town's whack job." I snapped at her. It revolted me a little that she considered my powers a gift, when she had no idea what it truly was – a curse. "I don't see how this is supposed to be a gift."

Esther observed me silently. Her mind was as silent as a mouse, but I knew that I had startled her by snapping like that. I walked towards the door and placed my hand on the doorknob, ready to open it. "Cassidy." She uttered, stopping me from moving. "In my time, there was a girl just like you. She could read minds, but she could not control her powers. She was the daughter of a close friend of mine. Back then, she had to keep it a secret from her own parents, because they'd leave her if she was considered faulty. She came to talk to me one night, complaining about the voices whispering inside her mind. She said she only felt peaceful when she was next to me, because she couldn't read my mind."

I sighed, understanding how that said girl felt. "What happened to her?"

Esther glanced down. "Her parents left her, because they found out eventually. She grew closer to my children, especially Kol. I wasn't bothered by that. I knew she was a decent girl, despite her feisty nature. But, after I turned them into beasts, she never left Kol's side. She enjoyed the silence he provided her, but also loved him. And he wanted her there too." She paused, never glancing up. "Like you, she smelled exceptionally delicious, and my son ended up killing her."

"Alright. Other than the fact that this girl and I shared the same curse, what else does this have to do with me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm only showing you what my children could do to people like you, Cassidy." Esther responded. "This is why they need to be stopped."

"I get it, alright?" I sighed, glancing over at her with tired eyes. "I understand your reasons. You don't have to worry about me. I understand why you have to do this."

And, without wanting to extend the conversation, I opened the door and stepped out.

I walked across the hallway, descending the main stairs. As I grew closer to the crowd, I spotted Elena. She was standing near the bar, lonely and staring at nothing. When her doe eyes met mine, I was almost overthrown with a storm of thoughts. Her eyes widened considerably, because she was scared of knowing what I had to tell her.

_What happened in there? What did she say? Did she tell you how she's planning to kill her children? Cassidy, you know how miserable Klaus has made us. He needs to be stopped. We can't stop her from doing this! _

If I could answer her, I would. Unfortunately, we were surrounded by people with extremely acute hearing, and we couldn't risk it. So what if Klaus needed to be stopped? What about the others? We practically just signed their death sentences! They weren't just collateral damage! It wasn't that simple. I was beginning to feel utterly guilty and it weightened down in my heart.

I was making my way over to her, but I was stopped by someone. "Hello, love."

I twirled around with a scowl, recognizing that voice. "Kol."

"I was beginning to wonder where you were, darling." Kol smirked, glancing down at my figure with evident delight. I almost felt like slapping him. For a man with a thousand years of living, he still behaved like a teenage boy. "Have I told you how ravishing you look tonight?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure you've never seen me before." I replied, turning to walk away from him.

Kol seemed to have picked up the habit of pulling me back to him, because that's exactly what he did. For a few moments, his expression remained hard and piercing, but then he smirked down at me. "True, and that is all the more reason why we should get acquainted, love."

"Stop calling me 'love' and 'darling'. It's not going to happen." I spat, trying to release my arm from the tight hold he had on it.

Instead of answering to me, Kol leaned closer, brushing his mouth against my earlobe. My eyes widened, and I wasn't able to stop the goose bumps that I felt. I wondered if anyone could see us or if they just didn't care. A cold shiver travelled down my spine, ending in a very specific place. "What are you?" Kol muttered, clearly inhaling my peculiar smell.

"Human. What else could I be?" I snapped, looking into his dark eyes.

"You tell me, darling."

I growled, irritated by the pet name he had given me. Something in his eyes told me that Kol already knew the answer to his own question, but he decided to ask it anyway. I freed my arm, stumbling back. "Somehow, I think you already know the answer." I replied, walking away from him in a clumsy walk.

This time, Kol didn't even make an effort to stop me from leaving his company. I paced towards Elena, but I saw Elijah joining her side. I immediately stopped in my tracks, not wanting to face another Mikaelson. Especially not this one. The guilt was too overwhelming.

Luckily, I spotted Caroline. And boy, was she furious! She approached me in a second, stopping beside me while her blue eyes scanned the crowd for someone. "How was it?" She asked, trying to make small conversation while glaring daggers at Klaus, who was watching us from across the room.

"I can't tell you here, Care." I muttered, following her eyes. At this point, Klaus raised his glass at us, offering us an infuriating smirk. I could see Caroline's cheeks flashing red with anger and… what was that? Passion? Good lord, who was she trying to fool? I knew her better than anyone else in this room. She could complain about him, saying that she hated him… but I knew it wasn't true.

"Then tell me on the way home." Caroline responded, rolling her eyes. She turned her back on Klaus and focused her gaze on me, this time. "You're coming with me."

"Will do." I replied, elbowing her playfully. "Now tell me, why are you so mad? What did Klaus do this time?"

"It's nothing." Caroline shrugged it off, noticing I wasn't buying it. "He was just being his irritating little self."

I chuckled in response, and the blondie threw me a deadly look that would've killed me if possible. My laughter instantly died down due to her serious expression. "Sorry."

Caroline was about to say something else, but a waiter walked up to us, offering us two glasses of champagne. I sucked in a breath, watching as Elena chatted with Elijah. Her mind was absolutely clouded by the fear of getting caught in her own lies. Caroline and I watched as Esther descended the stairs, her eyes shifting between me and Elena momentarily. I saw Kol and Klaus walking towards us and my heart involuntarily skipped a beat. It seemed like everything was gathering up to make me feel even guiltier.

Silently, Klaus joined Caroline's side, and Kol joined mine. Although we remained silent, I could feel his eyes on me. He was trying to figure me out, I could tell. To grab our attention, Esther hit with a piece of cutlery in the cup of champagne, beginning her speech. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one." Any vampire in the room would've been able to listen to my heart rate increasing considerably. Caroline offered me a warning look, silently telling me to 'calm down'. I sighed, nodding. "I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

Kol turned to look at me, raising his glass. "Cheers." Although he smirked, I could tell he knew something was wrong with me. I raised my glass as well, taking a small sip of the champagne while I watched him taking a larger sip of his drink. My heart ached with what was happening, but I couldn't stop Esther now.

I glanced around and saw Rebekah, Finn and Klaus downing their drinks. Then, my eyes landed on Elijah and Elena, and I could see that he still felt slightly reluctant. Elena's conversation hadn't entirely convinced him that everything was fine, but he ended up drinking it as well.

When I knew it was safe to walk away, I did. The whispers in my mind became louder and more intense, and I seriously needed some fresh air. Maybe I was starting to lose concentration, letting my guard down. Maybe, just maybe, it was time for me to leave. If I didn't, my head would explode. Not literally, but it would feel like it.

I grabbed hold of my small purse, searching for my cell phone.

I found myself alone in an empty corridor. The voices of people enjoying themselves echoed through it like nocturnal humming. Then, there was only silence. I could still count how many people there were in the building – it didn't matter if they were vampires, witches or humans. I could still hear most of their thoughts, but they were weaker and more distant now. I was beginning to raise the shields again. This is why my powers are such a curse. All I crave for is silence. I have had twelve years of endless madness. It was a surprise I hadn't gone insane yet. Most people would, if they were like me.

I turned around suddenly, going against a wall. Well, at first it felt like it was a wall. I dropped my cell phone and its pieces scattered across the floor. "Damn it…" I mumbled, bowing down to pick them all up. I seriously needed to buy a new one. When I remembered I was not alone, I glanced up. "What do you want, Kol?"

"Just trying to keep a beautiful woman like you some company." He replied, smirking down at me. "Am I not allowed to want that?"

I scoffed, getting up. "Yeah, right. Well, there are plenty of other women who would crave your company, so…"

"Try as I might, I don't enjoy their company nearly as much as I enjoy yours."

"That's sweet and all, but you don't even know me." I spat, rolling my eyes at him.

Kol smirked deviously at me. "So you've told me." The Original walked closer to me, fixing his brown eyes on my green ones. He remained still, and I noticed his pupils were growing considerably dilated. I already knew what he was trying to do. "I say you should give me a chance, darling."

"Let me think of it…" I paused, offering him a sarcastic smile. It quickly wore off, becoming a serious glare. "No."

Having that said, I whirled around to start walking away from him. I didn't expect him to come after me with vampire speed, nor was I expecting him to hold me against the wall, but he did anyway. Kol placed his right hand on my neck to keep me trapped. The Original lifted me higher and I gasped for air, coughing desperately at the sight of the deep red veins forming beneath his eyes.

"What's stopping me from killing you right now?" He growled, the hold he had on my neck growing tighter.

"Well, I'm sure you're curious as to why I can't be compelled…!" I choked out, grabbing his arm in a futile attempt to stop him.

Kol considered my words for a few moments. The tight hold he had on me didn't change, and I was starting to get worried. Was he seriously going to kill me or was he just threatening me?

Then, he smirked. Before he had the chance to sink his teeth down on my skin, someone threw himself at the Original. Obviously, that someone was a vampire, because all I saw was his shape literally jumping on Kol at the speed of light. Having been released, I slipped down and placed my hand on my neck, lightly touching the hurting area. That was going to leave a few marks for later. Fantastic!

I hissed, pushing myself up from the cold floor. Kol was nowhere to be seen, and I soon realized that the person who had saved me from getting eaten was Stefan. He kicked off some dust from his tux, turning around to look at me with a furious expression. "Are you okay?" He asked, approaching me swiftly.

"Yeah, yeah. No major damage." I replied, taking a deep and frightened breath.

"I don't know how, but you just managed to piss off an Original, Cass." Stefan countered, offering me his arm.

"Yeah… no kidding." I mumbled.

"You need to stay away from him." Stefan whispered firmly, his eyes searching for any hint of danger. "They're all dangerous. Each and every one of them. But Kol… Kol is known for being a total beast. He kills because he likes it, because he's bored, because he finds it fun. He ravaged entire villages while his emotions were still on." I swallowed thickly, acknowledging just how perilous he was. I felt a knot in my heart, knowing that he was so inhumane, emotionless and cold. "Stay away from him, Cassidy."

"I will." I responded, glancing down at my nervous hands.

He nodded in relief. After delivering his message, Stefan led me into the main entrance of the mansion. We found Elena and Caroline in there, waiting for something, but there was no sign of Matt or Damon. "Have you guys seen Matt?" Caroline immediately asked when she saw us joining their sides.

Then, it was like something clicked inside my mind. If Matt wasn't here, that could only mean… "Damon went looking for him, but he hasn't returned yet." Elena informed us, feeling just as preoccupied as Caroline appeared to be.

Suddenly, Stefan's head snapped towards the door, and he raised an eyebrow in distrust. He shared a look with Caroline and the blonde vampire rolled her eyes. Elena and I just stared at them, completely muddled. Stefan ran towards the exit door and opened it. Whatever it was, the Originals seemed to have heard it as well, because they all came running. Elena and I copied them, running towards the exit as well.

Kol was lying on the cold and hard ground, completely unconscious. Damon was standing right next to him and, apparently, he had snapped the Original's neck. "Are you crazy?" Stefan questioned incredulously.

"Maybe a little." Damon answered, his eyes landing on Elena, who shook her head slightly in disappointment. "Far be it from me to cause a problem."

Oh, God.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I only own my OCs, Cassidy Peterson and her mother. **

**A/N: Hello, guys! How are you doing? So, since I had some free time this weekend, I decided to write this chapter. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to write another one for my other story, so, please forgive me. If you notice any writing mistakes, just ignore them. Well, since I don't have anything else to say, I'm just going to leave it at that. Oh, and… don't forget to leave a REVIEW, okay? Constructive critics are always welcome. See you all next time, sweeties!**


	4. Red Distraction

I watched as Bonnie tried to copy the spell that Esther had casted last night to speak freely without the fear of being overhead. Elena kept pacing around the bedroom, obviously irritated and pissed off. From what she had told us, I knew that Damon slept with Rebekah, and now the brunette was absolutely furious.

_I cannot believe he slept with her just to get back at me. _

I rolled my eyes instantly. I knew better than to read her thoughts. The way she thought made me want to slap her, at times. I shrugged it off, turning to look at Bonnie, who waved the burnt sage around her, trying to spread the fumes. I could hear all of her frustrated thoughts, because it didn't seem like the spell was working. There I was, sitting between two girls whose brains kept transmitting thoughts like radio stations transmitted songs, jokes and news. It was an endless cycle. When I couldn't hear one, I was listening to the other. Only Caroline transmitted me some peace. "He was gloating, like actual gloat. Like he was proud of himself for sleeping with her."

I scoffed at that. "I'm sure he was. I would have paid a lot of money just to see your face, though."

Elena whirled around, casting me a deadly look. "Ugh, I can't even think about it."

"Then don't. Just ignore it." I responded, taking a deep breath. All of her thoughts swirled around that precise scene, and she kept replaying it in her mind endlessly. The triumphant smirk tugged on Rebekah's lips, the way that Damon spoke to her… Elena was bubbling with pure anger and jealousy. "Stop thinking about it, Elena."

"Stay out of my head, Cassidy." Elena warned, giving me a stern glance.

"Trust me, I would if I could."

Elena rolled her eyes, knowing that I had a point about that. Most of the time, I couldn't control it, and she was very well aware of that. "Is it working, Bonnie?"

Caroline suddenly opened the door with an annoyed and bored expression on her face. "It's not working. I can hear every word you're saying about Damon, the vampire gigolo."

"I don't know." Bonnie shrugged, glancing up at us. "It's a tricky spell."

"When Esther did it, she kept the sage burning. There was a lot more smoke." Elena added. I nodded, supporting her statement.

"Alright. Let's try it again." Bonnie mumbled, burning the sage on the candle. She waved it around her again, trying to scatter the fume in order to make the spell work. Bonnie and Elena glanced over at Caroline, silently telling her to close the door again. The blonde vampire groaned slightly, getting out of the room before closing the door behind her. "Now you, Cassie. What did Esther tell you when you went to meet her?"

"Mostly, she told me things I already knew." I replied, glancing down at my hands. "And she used a few drops of my blood, saying it'd work as a linking and alluring element. Like they would feel compelled to drink it."

"Did it work like that?" Bonnie questioned, glancing up for a second before looking down at what she was doing.

"Well, they all drank it, didn't they? Plus, for what I saw, Klaus, Kol and Rebekah drank the whole thing without even questioning." I revealed, crossing my arms. "I would say it worked pretty nicely." I paused, gathering all of my thoughts. "As for what Esther told me… well, she said that I was considered something extremely rare, and she only met one other person like me. On the other side, they call my kind the mind readers, the far-sighted ones… the telepaths."

"It sounds logical." Elena commented, crossing her arms as she continued her infuriated pacing across the bedroom.

"Esther also told me that experienced witches could shield their thoughts from people like me." I informed, noticing Bonnie's head lifting up in curiosity.

"Can you hear mine?"

"Well, yeah, but you're not even trying to hide them away." I answered, shrugging it off. "You make it too easy for me to come in."

"Okay, well, try to stay out."

"It's not like I have a choice, Bonnie. And you know it."

Bonnie nodded, glancing down at the sage she was burning. Again, she waved it around herself, spreading the fumes to make the spell work. Elena and I watched her carefully, knowing that something was coming. "Anyway, speaking of Esther, you guys should know that she came to see me and Abby this morning."

"What?" I exclaimed, absolutely bewildered. "Seriously?"

"And all this time, you let me vent about Damon?" Elena asked in disbelief, ending her pacing across the bedroom. She stopped in front of the bed, glaring sternly at the witch.

"I don't want you to worry." Bonnie interjected, shaking her head a little.

"Okay, well, what did she want?" Elena asked, sitting down beside me and Bonnie with a concerned glare.

"She wanted to introduce herself. Abby and I helped bring her back. She's channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power." Bonnie explained, giving Elena a sympathetic look. "I think she thought she was being polite."

I sighed, my insides burning with guilt. "Okay, well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?" Elena asked with a worried expression on her face.

"Even if there was, why would I want that?" Bonnie questioned, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

"I just keep thinking… before the sun and the moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive." Elena said. I could practically hear the guilt and preoccupation in her voice, as well as in her mind. "And now, I'm in the exact same position, and I'm just gonna let him die? It just doesn't feel right."

"I know exactly what you mean." I commented, crossing my arms over my chest. "It feels so wrong. We can't let this happen."

Before Elena could answer, Caroline opened the door and stepped inside. "Okay, first of all, this privacy spell is totally not working. And second, Elena, Cassie, you guys are not doing this. Esther is doing this." Elena and I shared a desperate look, and I could hear her thoughts on the subject. No matter what they said, she had already made up her mind. And this time, I was agreeing with Elena. "Stop feeling guilty. This is the right thing to do."

"Is it really?" I sent her a disbelieving look.

"There's no time to change your minds, guys. He'll be dead by the end of the night." Bonnie spoke emotionlessly. I couldn't bring myself to believe that they were actually doing this! How could they agree with this? They were going to kill them, for God's sake!

"What?"

"It's a full moon." Bonnie reminded us, taking a deep breath. "Esther needs to harness the energy of a celestial event. She asked me and Abby to join her."

"So, you're doing this. You agreed with it." I stated, getting up from the bed with an infuriated expression. "You're letting them die. Is that what you consider the right thing to do? I know they've killed a lot of people, took Nature's balance and all of that crap, but who are we to decide if they deserve to live or not, Bonnie?"

And, without giving them enough time to answer, I stormed out of the room.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Caroline and I were sitting over the bed of my bedroom. My mother was still working at the police station, and we were just chatting about random things. After leaving her house like that, Caroline came to see me with the intention of taking my mind off of everything that was happening at the moment. I knew she was only trying to help, but I couldn't agree with her on this. Plus, I was also aware of the fact that she wanted to keep me busy so that I wouldn't screw up. I couldn't read her mind, but I knew it.<p>

Sadly, there wasn't much I could do to stop Esther from killing her children. "Look, this will all be over soon. Don't think about it, Cass." Caroline patted my shoulder, getting up from the bed to approach a shelf filled with books and DVDs. With her index finger, Caroline picked one of the oldest DVDs, taking it out. She waved it at me, putting on an open smile. "Come on. What do you say, huh? It's been ages since the last time we've watched a movie together!"

Although I growled, there was a small grin trying to escape through my lips. "Ugh, fine! You're lucky I'm too fond of you to decline your offers."

Caroline smirked triumphantly, walking towards the DVD player resting alongside the television of my room. Quickly, she put it inside and, a few seconds later, it was already working. Caroline jumped on my bed and found her place next to me as we sat in silence while the opening credits displayed in front of our eyes.

Before the movie started properly, my cell phone began ringing loudly. I took a quick glance at the caller's ID and rolled my eyes, proceeding to answer the phone call without a second thought. "Yes, Damon? Why did you feel the need to grace me with this sudden call?"

"Shut up, Red. Is Vampire Barbie with you right now?" Damon asked, going straight to the point.

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Put the call on the speakerphone, please."

"She's a vampire. She can hear you, dumbass."

"I know. Just do it."

I groaned and did as Damon told me to do, placing the phone on the bed as Caroline put the movie on pause. "What is it?" She asked immediately, her voice dripping with preoccupation.

"Short story, Elijah has Elena. He wants us to find Bonnie and Abby so that we can break their bloodline to stop Esther from drawing her power from them. That means we have to kill one of the witches." Damon paused, searching for his next words. "But we have a plan. Alaric's going to dagger one of the Originals, so that if one goes down, they all go down, because they're all linked. We won't have to kill the witches, and Elena will be safe. It's a win."

"And where are we in all of this? I mean, you called us for a reason, right?"

"Nice one, Red. Yeah, I need Blondie to distract Klaus. And you'll keep Kol busy in the meantime. They're at the Grill right now."

"Seriously?"

"Fine by me." Caroline gave me a shrug, not giving much thought to it.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Why do I have to distract Kol?"

"Because, dear friend, the guy was practically drooling over you at the ball."

"Probably because I smell good to vampires and he saw me as his next meal."

"Even so, keep him busy."

"Damon! You do realize that he almost killed me at the ball, right?"

"He won't try anything at the Grill. Just make sure you're not alone with him in a dark alley or something."

"Damon! Ugh, you're infuriating!"

"Face it, I'm your favorite vampire."

"Oh, you wish. That would be Caroline."

"Thanks!" The blonde vampire replied, jumping up from the bed to open my closet. She started rifling through my clothes, and I rolled my eyes at her.

"If he kills me, I will haunt your immortal ass for all eternity, douchebag." And with that said, I hung up the phone. I jumped up from the bed and turned around to cast Caroline a concerned stare. "Are we really going to do this? I mean, I've been told to stay away from them, especially Kol."

"So what? Do you ever do what other people tell you?" Well, come to think of it… not really! "Plus, it's like Damon said. Don't leave the Grill. There are plenty of other people in there. He won't do anything in front of them."

"Right, because that's so reassuring." I mumbled, approaching the wardrobe. I grabbed hold of one of the metal hangers, passing it to her. She analyzed the black trench coat I handed her with a large smile on her face. "Wear it with…" I trailed off, picking up a black tank top. "…this. It has a nice cleavage."

"Thanks, Cass. I don't know what I would do without you." She smiled, stepping away from the wardrobe to change into the clothes I lent her.

"Good thing you don't have to find out, right?"

Caroline smiled in agreement. After a few more moments, she finished changing clothes. The blonde vampire approached the nearest mirror, observing her image with rather delight. I grinned at her and shook my head. "Alright, now you." She gave me a devilish smile and grabbed hold of a brown leather jacket, pressing it in my hands. Then, she handed me a strappy top and dark skinny jeans. "Wear that. He won't even know what hit him."

I fixed her a doubtful stare, shaking my head a little as I let out a soft chuckle. I began stripping my clothes, putting on the ones that Caroline had handed me. "So…" She started with a curious tone of voice. "What's the deal with Kol?"

"I'm not really sure." I replied, not giving much importance to it. "Esther told me an odd story about him and some girl… nothing much."

"What story?" Caroline drilled, even more curious now.

"Something about a girl with the same powers as me. A telepath." I shrugged, putting on the dark skinny jeans. Caroline handed me the black high heels and I immediately put them on. I got up from the bed and approached the mirror with a satisfied smile tugged on my lips. Then, I whirled around to glance at her with a confused frown. "Apparently, Kol loved her, but he killed her anyway because, according to Esther, she smelled…"

"…delicious to vampires?" Caroline finished, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Exactly like that."

"Yeah. Exactly like you."

"Precisely. That's why I don't want to be near him. He could kill me in a heartbeat." I mumbled, glancing down at my figure. "I guess I don't have much of a choice now, do I?"

* * *

><p>Caroline and I walked into the Mystic Grill and, as soon as we did, we met two pairs of Original eyes lingering on us. We spotted Alaric and Meredith from across the room. They were sitting at one of the tables. Alaric nodded at us subtly, letting us know that he was fully aware of Damon's plan. I put on my best poker face and pretended I wasn't scared shitless. Caroline opened her black trench coat, revealing her deep cleavage, while I loosened my hips slightly, as if I was going on a hunt for men. Truthfully, I had no idea of what I was doing. I was just praying it would somehow work and allure them.<p>

As we approached them, Klaus was the first one to speak to us. "Caroline, Cassidy."

"Oh, it's you." She crossed her arms in a severe way and I watched her with an amused smile. The chemistry between them was almost palpable, and it was fun to watch her trying to deny it. Through the corner of my eye, I could see Kol observing me with a devious smirk.

"Join us for a drink, ladies?" Klaus asked, raising his glass at us. Kol copied him, winking at me with a charming smirk tugged on his lips.

"Hmm… I'd rather die of thirst, but thanks." Caroline replied sharply, whirling around to walk away from them. Before doing that, she winked at me and carried on until she exited the Grill.

"What about you, love? Care to join us?" Kol questioned, motioning towards the seat next to him.

I grinned at him. "Hmm, I think I'll pass."

Having that said, I turned around and walked towards the pool table, hoping he'd take the hint and come too. A few moments later, I saw Klaus walking out the door, chasing after Caroline. It didn't take long for Kol to join me as well, and that's when the real game started. I grabbed one of the sticks and aimed at one of the balls on the table. "So, you've come to try to kill me again, did you?" I questioned, glancing at him through the corner of my eye.

Kol smirked, picking up a stick as well. "I wanted to make sure you weren't some cheap trick, darling."

"I've told you before. Don't call me darling." I snapped, glaring daggers at him.

Unfortunately, his smile only grew wider. I hit one of the balls with the end of the stick and it entered the hole. I smiled triumphantly and watched him doing the same thing. "We should try this again, don't you agree?" He came closer to me, leaning into me as he inhaled my peculiar smell. When the tip of his nose touched my neck, my heart began beating a million times faster, and I'm sure he could hear it pumping blood through my veins at the speed of light. For a few moments, I thought he was going to bite me, but I was wrong. When he pulled away, I could tell he wanted to have a taste of my blood. Fortunately, we were surrounded by people, and I knew that Alaric and Meredith were watching us from across the room. "You smell divine, darling. What are you?"

"Again with that question." I smiled at Kol, pushing him away from me. I grabbed the stick and aimed at the next ball. "You clearly know the answer. So, why are you asking?"

Kol smirked. "Hmm, beautiful and smart."

I scoffed, shaking my head a little. "Yeah, too bad you're never going to get your hands on me."

As soon as those words left my mouth, I cursed myself. Obviously, saying such thing only fanned the burning sensation inside of him. Now, not only was he hungry, but he was also somewhat angry. "I could just compel you."

"Come on, you know you can't." Kol's hand rested on my back as he pulled me closer to him. For a few moments, I couldn't even breathe, because we were so unbelievably close to each other. Everything about him screamed dangerous. What the hell was I doing, poking a lion that could kill me if he wanted? Unfortunately, my mouth seemed to have a life of its own. "It must suck to know that you can't compel me to want you."

Although he laughed, I could see just how perilous he was. "Don't push me, darling. I'm sure you've come to realize that I'm not very patient."

"That makes two of us, then."

"You've got spunk, I'll give you that. I like pretty little things with sharp tongues." Kol stated, placing his hand on my cheek. "But you know I could drain you in a second. And that would be a shame. Don't wanna end the existence of such a pretty and breakable thing like yourself." Before his skin touched mine, I made sure to pull his hand away from my face, walking away from him with a nervous expression. I knew he was dangerous, but I didn't know just how much.

Apparently, seeing me walking away from him was enough reason to have him coming after me. Clearly, he wasn't ready to give up! "Get out of my way, Kol."

"Why don't you make me, darling?"

"I'm pretty sure she told you to get out of her way." I heard Alaric saying from behind him. I hadn't seen him coming, but I thanked the Lord for his help, because honestly, I had no idea of what else to say or do.

Kol continued to look into my green eyes, ignoring Alaric's warning. I glanced between them, already predicting what was going to happen. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't talking to you."

Right when Kol was turning around to face Alaric, he stabbed him in the chest with the dagger. I glanced around nervously, standing in front of them to make sure no one had seen what had happened in there. Before I helped Alaric dragging Kol out of the Grill, I heard the hunter saying: "Next time, take a hint."

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Hello, guys! How are you doing? Oh, my God! I am so sorry for taking so long to update this story, but I've been pretty busy with school, gym and swimming lessons! It's been such a long week, and I am so freaking tired. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you didn't, well… at least be gentle about it, haha. So, yeah, this note is very short. I just wanted to say that I am so very sorry for making you guys wait for so long. Oh, and please, ignore any writing mistakes that you might see. Don't forget to leave a REVIEW, alright? See you all next time, sweeties! **


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